Author Haider Rifaat

Gear up SMG fans! The 38-year old actress who starred in The Crazy Ones (2012) and Ringer (2011), both shows that were axed by different TV networks is taking the high road with a guest starring role in the new comedy Those Who Can’t. Being a huge fan of the former ‘Buffy’ star, the actress will grace our screens once again with a comedic role.
As quoted and pictured in SMGFrance.Net, a fan website dedicated to Gellar, the actress was seen behind the scenes shooting for an episode for the new comedy series. SMG will reportedly star in the second episode of the show’s first season.

During her one year hiatus, Gellar devoted her time to several charities and awareness programs including No Child Hungry but after a long wait, the actress is back on track. But the real question is, when will SMG return to television in a show that completely centers on her? Well, we’d just have to wait and watch!

Murders are easy to commit but hard to cover up these days. However, there is one television show that completely contradicts my humble statement. The new mystery-thriller drama, ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ has somewhat revolutionized the television landscape. The series is about five freshman college students and their mysterious criminal law professor who get embroiled in a dangerous murder plot. The show stars the Academy Award nominee, Viola Davis as Professor Annalise Keating, a sophisticated defense attorney who runs her own law firm. The series also stars Alfred Enoch, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King and Karla Souza.

What makes ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ a stellar television show is the legendary, Viola Davis. Her character, Annalise Keating has been portrayed as a powerful mid-aged woman who does not take no for an answer. Hats off to the creator of the show, Peter Nowalk who came up with this bold idea! I, for one, strongly advocate those dramas that depict a woman’s character as strong and resilient unlike some misleading television shows I had the misfortune of coming across. Another gripping factor that compelled me to watch this exciting new show was Viola Davis’s bracing screen presence. Her acting is simply mesmerizing, no questions asked!

There are very few actors who have the ability to live up to their characters but Davis’s commitment to her role is worthy of praise. Furthermore, Jack Falahee who portrays Connor Walsh in the show is also a great addition to the cast. I strongly believe that there are very few female lead characters in today’s television shows, especially black women. So, keeping this factor in mind, it is quite an accomplishment to see a black American woman as inspiring as Viola Davis on the small screen. ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ also suppresses the modern-day stereotype about women who cannot stand up for themselves. Moreover, the show indirectly empowers those underprivileged women and young girls who are incapable of leading independent lives.

Keeping the superiority factor aside, the show seems quite promising and has a lot to offer to its loyal fans in the first season. ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ has generated a huge fan base owing to the show’s unique storyline and plot twists. The steady ratings have played a pivotal role in the show’s success. For those passionate TV lovers who enjoy forty five minutes of endless entertainment, I strongly recommend you watch this show. Trust me, once you watch the pilot episode, you will soon be begging for more. Although the show seems slightly misleading as it condones murder cover ups, but it is for everyone’s entertainment and no television show should be taken seriously. ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ has already been nominated for some prestigious awards including the ‘Golden Globes.’ The remainder of the first season will debut in the end of this month. So, keep your eyes fixed on the television screens!

The freshman drama series ‘Stalker’ that made its debut on October 1st, 2014 on CBS is already halfway through its mid season. The show stars Maggie Q, Dylan McDermott, Mariana Klaveno and Victor Rasuk as an LAPD Threat Assessment Unit who track down stalkers in Los Angeles, California. While many critics think that the show’s writing is too clichéd, I, for one believe that ‘Stalker’ is a great series to look out for. The storylines might be stereotyped but the manner in which they are depicted on television is something I strongly support and commend.

The series not only sheds light on the subject of stalking but promotes several ways of tackling it. Throughout the mid season run, ‘Stalker’ has managed to attract a little over seven million viewers per episode and has kept a steady pace up till now. Despite receiving horrendous reviews from many critics, ‘Stalker’ has developed a decent fan base. I myself admire the show’s unique plot and character profiles. Undoubtedly, Maggie Q is the limelight of the series, hands down! She is truly a great actress in my humble opinion.

Dylan McDermott, on the other hand, did a fine job portraying Jack Larsen, a new recruit for the TAU unit. Another compelling aspect of ‘Stalker’ is the addition of the neo-noir genre. But what makes the show more gripping is the standout soundtrack. At the end of almost every episode, there is a song that fits in perfectly for the ending scene. Keeping these factors in mind, I believe that ‘Stalker’ should be renewed for a second season. Like every show, it should be given a chance. I strongly recommend ‘Stalker’ to those who are avid fans of dark and mysterious television shows.

Screams are in the air! The 37-year old actress, Sarah Michelle Gellar is rumored to star in the upcoming horror anthology TV series titled ‘Scream Queens’ says IMDB. I, for one would love to see Sarah back on the small screen.
When asked about her return to television in a recent interview for SpecSaver, Gellar answered that she will make a surprise comeback after some time. Could Scream Queens be that ‘surprise’ package? I sure hope so!

The series will be created by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk. The plot of the show revolves around a college terrorized by a series of inexplicable murders. The show also stars the scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts in the leading roles. Both, Gellar and Roberts have starred in the horror Scream film series. Emma portrayed a deranged psychopathic killer in ‘Scream 4’ in 2011 while Sarah played a decent role of Casey Cooper in ‘Scream 2’ back in 1998.

Curtis, who is well known for her popular film roles in the Halloween film series, ‘Prom Night’ and ‘The Fog’is also a great addition to the cast. Fox has already ordered fifteen episodes of the series. It is time that Gellar commits to a project that compliments her forte i.e. horror. I am really looking forward to seeing her in a fresh horror series as she is a modern-day Scream queen in my humble opinion.

She has starred in more than four horror films such as ‘The Grudge’, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ and ‘The Return.’ I, along with many other Gellar fans are eagerly waiting for her return to television. Let’s hope she gets a starring role in Scream Queens!

The freshman TV series How to Get Away with Murder is heating up in terms of its weekly storylines. The show stars the Academy Award nominee Viola Davis as Annalise Keating, a criminal law professor who recruits five of her best law students to work for her firm. Amidst all the cases, things take a drastic turn after all of them are caught up in a murder trial.

But the show doesn’t end there. Apparently, we, as fans, have no idea who the real killer is. However, we do know the victim’s name. So far it was Lila Stangard but there is a recent addition to the pile. It’s none other than Annalise’s dishonest husband, Sam.

The eighth episode of the show titled “He Has A Wife” aired last night on ABC. Among all the scenes, the shocker was Bonnie’s romantic linkup with Sam. Now, we all saw them exchange glances with each other in the first few episodes of the show. That only triggered my curiosity as a viewer.

As far as the killer is concerned, I believe that Annalise is the one who killed her husband. Clearly, she was devastated over Sam’s secret affair with Lila. Soon after, it was revealed that Lila was six weeks pregnant. This further aggravated Annalise and Sam’s relationship. Although Annalise didn’t exhibit her sentiments, she seemed quite unsteady and shaky in last night’s episode.

Also, in the flashback scenes, Connor, Wes, Michaela, Laurel and Asher are seen protecting someone. Who else could it be except for Annalise? She could have turned to her students for help. Clearly, the clever defense attorney Annalise Keating knows how to get away with murder and this could only mean one thing; she is the victim this time around.

The How to Get Away with Murder winter finale will air next week on November 20, 2014 at 10PM on ABC.

I am not quite the TV geek as there are only few television shows that I follow. The kinds that I tend to keep an eye on are those with wicked, devious themes and those that are full of secrets.

Nowadays, it’s all about shows such as The Big Bang Theory or the Game of Thrones. But in all honesty, such shows have never enticed me as a viewer. They are quite overrated, if you ask me. The unfortunate thing, however, is that a show, such as Ringer, was not appreciated or given any credit despite the fact that it had a riveting storyline and great cast to go with it.

I have always adored Sarah Michelle Gellar ever since I was seven years old. She is an inspiration to me when it comes to acting. When I heard about her initial return to television with Ringer, I was literally on cloud nine! What’s better than a good television show that has your personal favorite actress in the lead?

I saw Ringer back in 2011, when it originally aired on The CW. The show borrows some elements from the neo-noir film genre. It centers on the lives of two twin sisters, Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin (both portrayed by Gellar respectively). Gellar has done a fantastic job playing both the roles with equal power and vigor.

Bridget is a recovering drug addict and a stripper. After she sees her boss commit a crime, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) put her under witness protection so that she can testify against him. But as soon as Bridget learns that her boss, and his gang, have murdered such witnesses before, she decides to flee. And in her desperation, she goes to her estranged twin sister, Siobhan, for help.

Siobhan, on the other hand, is an affluent young woman, residing in New York City with her husband Andrew Martin (played by Ioan Gruffudd). It is shown that Bridget and Siobhan have a seemingly contentious relationship with each other. They have shared a rough past, which is not disclosed in the first-half of the initial season but, gradually, the audience get to learn more about the twins and their relationship.

After Siobhan’s mysterious death, Bridget assumes her identity, thinking she could escape her old life and start all over again. But little does she know that Siobhan’s life is as complex as hers. Bridget later learns that her sister had an affair with her best friend’s husband, Henry Butler (played by Kristoffer Polaha).

But wait till you hear this, Siobhan is not really dead. She is conspiring against her own sister. Why, you wonder? Well, I won’t spill all the details. You’ll have to watch the show to find out!

If you decide to watch Ringer, don’t judge the show on the basis of its pilot episode as it was not strong enough as compared to the rest of the episodes. The show only gets juicer and more intriguing as the story progresses.

But sadly, the show was cancelled by The CW in 2012. If you are assuming that ratings played a pivotal role in the cancellation process, you might want to think again. There was a poll launched in early 2012 that had listed Ringer, The Secret Circle and Gossip Girl as shows that fans would like fresh seasons for. Although, Gossip Girl had lower ratings than Ringer, the fans picked Gossip Girl as their primary choice and it was renewed for a sixth season. Ringer, on the other hand, was cancelled.

I personally believe this was a rather unfair decision made by The CW network. Maybe it should have been marketed to other networks, such as NBC or ABC family. Ringer provided a completely different storyline to the television landscape. It was a show that offered something new to the audience every week; it was riveting, fun and full of suspense. In addition, Gellar’s acting was stellar. I still believe it should be given a second season. Ringer was a whole package overall.

What makes Ringer standout from shows such as Gossip Girl or The Lying Game, is pure creativity and innovation with which it has been structured. The creators of the show, Nicole Snyder and Eric Charmelo, did a remarkable job with the plot and storylines. This very factor lacks in many TV shows that are currently on air. Most television shows of today have tedious plots, repetitive themes and predictable drama. Not only does Ringer have just the right amount of drama and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, it also has a glamour and fashion element merged brilliantly with the theme of the show.

Moreover, Ringer managed to bring in a ‘twin connection’ on television and that was primarily why it did so well on television. This very factor lacks in a show such as Orphan Black, which also has a twin sister plot. But that show does not have the stimulation that Ringer had. Additionally, the creators of Orphan Black had borrowed a few elements from Ringer during the first season, reflecting on just how strong Ringer’s storyline was.

The best thing about Ringer is that it’s unpredictable and full of twists and turns. Every episode ended with a shocking climax scene that even Gossip Girl and/or Orphan Black couldn’t possibly engender.

I put all my bets on this show! It’s worthy of every accolade known to mankind. The acting was brilliant. Every character had their own uniqueness and strong screen presence. Additionally, I loved the way the director(s) of the show had choreographed New York City in such a lavish, yet mysterious fashion.

Orphan Black, on the other hand, is a satisfactory television show with more of a sci-fi edge to it. While Ringer was about two twin sisters, Orphan Black is all about cloning (which is quite sad for a television show).

I saw a few raving reviews about this show. Here is what some fans had to say about Ringer:

“It’s smart, clever, fashionable and out of this world! Love it!” said Martha Eve, a blogger from California.

“Ringer is sassy and a fun ride for everyone!” quoted Will Arthur, a website host.

“My latest obsession! Gellar is so talented. I wonder why she’s so underrated as an actress” said Timothy Harris, a writer for various newspapers.

There you go! I hope such reviews coax you into watching this amazing television series. Ringer will always remain one of my personal favorites and I hope you give it a chance. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.